The present invention relates to an apparatus for filling a carbonated liquid, especially a beverage, under counterpressure into a bottle or other container.
The withdrawal of return gas, which is in the form of gas or gas mixture and is displaced during the introduction of liquid into a container that is to be filled, is effected with pressure differential and into a chamber in order to permit a high flow velocity for rapid filling of containers, resulting in a high filling efficiency of a filling machine. This is to be the case regardless of how termination of introduction of liquid is effected, which is undertaken either as a result of the interruption of the withdrawal of return gas due to the rise of the liquid itself in the container, or as a consequence of a signal that is ascertained by a pick-up device as the liquid in the container rises to a predetermined filling height, or after a fixed quantity of liquid has actually been introduced into the container.
An apparatus of the aforementioned general type for filling containers is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,045--Ahlers dated Nov. 23, 1982, belonging to Seitz-Werke GmbH of Bad Kreuznach, West-Germany, where, with a counterpressure filling machine that is provided with a plurality of filling elements, the pressure differential in a container that is to be filled is generated by withdrawing the return gas, via a connecting means that is provided with a flow control mechanism, into a chamber that is embodied as an annular venting channel for all of the filling elements of the filling machine; the return gas is discharged from this chamber, to the atmosphere, via an outlet.
Each filling element of the filling machine is provided with such a connection, which is provided with a flow control mechanism and is associated with a pressurizing gas valve arrangement. The valve control mechanism is provided with one or more nozzles, the fixed diameter of which is such that during introduction of liquid into a container, a pressure is set that at least for a given time period is below the filling pressure at which the liquid that is to be dispensed is supplied to the filling machine and hence to the liquid container thereof and to the filling elements that are disposed on the liquid container. Furthermore, each connection can be blocked off, and each filling element is provided with container relief or venting means so that after termination of introduction of liquid into a container, the pressure in the latter can be reduced to atmospheric pressure, and the container can be removed from the filling element.
Since the cross-sectional throughput area of the one or more nozzles of each flow control mechanism is set to the flow velocity that is optimum for the dispensed liquid and type of bottle most frequently used with that filling machine, this flow velocity is not suitable for other liquids that have different filling properties and could also be dispensed with the filling machine, so that for these liquids, for example wheat beer, often difficult to dispense, considerably reduced outputs result that can, for example, be the result of the excessive development of foam.